9+1 Things from strange to weird in this country.

Today, North Korea is still a country that is always mysterious with countless unbelievable things, making the world incomprehensible, such as they create their own calendar and time zone, take kim Il Sung's birthday as the root, execute Korean moviegoers ... A lot of weird things like that.

North Korea is a country that has always been mysterious and shocking to the rest of the world. Perhaps apart from the North Koreans themselves, it's hard for people in other parts of the world to understand them really, whether you've been through or lived briefly in the country. In the mysterious country of North Korea, apart from the passionate hearts of the people towards their supreme leader, what facts can you not know? Let's take a look at things from strange to weird in this country.

1. North Korea continues to declare no COVID-19 cases

In a monitoring report released on May 11, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) said 751 North Koreans were tested at the end of April 2021, bringing the total number of people tested for COVID-19 in the country to nearly 26,000, of whom 139 had flu-like illnesses or severe respiratory infections. However, as in previous times, no infection has been reported.

Experts have expressed skepticism at North Korea's claim of a perfect record of containing the COVID-19 pandemic, amid poor health infrastructure and a flawed common border with China.

Pyongyang has described its efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic as "a matter of national survival." The country has banned tourists, expelled diplomats and severely restricted cross-border traffic and trade.

North Korea has stopped providing information on the number of people it quarantined in 2021, but has previously said it has quarantined tens of thousands of people who have shown signs of infection.

2. Marijuana is legal

North Korea is seen as a particularly deprived place, people are banned a lot of things, even tourists have to pay great attention to what their actions are illegal. But surprisingly, marijuana is not a prohibited item.

In early 2013, freelance journalist Darmon Richter shared on his blog his experience of buying marijuana on the free market in Pyongyang, with the image as evidence.

3. Death penalty could be carried out if North Koreans watchEd Korean films

According to Japanese media, the North Korean government increased penalties for watching or distributing South Korean films in December 2020, and stressed that the maximum possible sentence is the death penalty.

South Korea's Kookmin Ilbo newspaper said a city in North Korea, home to tens of thousands of students, went to a police station to turn themselves in late last year. They admitted to having watched "illegal movies" such as Korean dramas, etc., and also handed over more than 5,000 DVD players that had been used for "crime".

Pyongyang considers watching South Korean dramas to be an "act against socialism", so it passed the "Reactionary Thought and Culture Exclusion Act" on December 4, 2020, stipulating that those who watch, share and distribute Korean dramas will be sentenced to prison, Sentenced to life in prison or even the death penalty.

However, when north Korean authorities passed the law, they insisted that simply turning themselves in could be "forgiven." So it's not clear if tens of thousands of students actually turn themselves in, or if it's just a propaganda strategy by the Regime.

4. Create your own calendar and time zone, take Kim Il-sung's birthday as the root

We now live in 2021, a year of events and pandemics breaking out around the world. And so in North Korea?

But no! In this country of many hidden puzzles it is now the year 110. North Korea took 1912, the birth year of its first supreme leader, Kim Il Sung, as the first calendar year. This method of calculating the calendar has been widely used since September 1997.

There's more. North Korea created its own time zone, known as the Pyongyang time zone, 30 minutes slower than South Korea and Japan. North Korean authorities introduced and adopted this time zone from August 15, 2015, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of South Korea's liberation from Japanese intimidation. First before the Japanese invasion.

5. Nepotism, but still... Vote every five years.

North Korea still 'holds elections': Although it may be a funny concept when a country is considered a nepotism regime, North Korea holds elections every five years. However, there is only one option on the ballot, so the approval rating is always 100%. But even so, people at least have the illusion of democracy, don't they???.

6. No traffic lights

On the streets of North Korea it is impossible to see any red-green lights, or so-called traffic lights, all at the behest of the traffic police.

Neither traffic lights nor anxiety, no traffic lights nor traffic chaos, because only military talent can have their own cars, and most people have to take the subway or bus.

Surprisingly, there are more than 25.5 thousand kilometers of roads in North Korea, but only 724 kilometers are paved, meaning less than 3% of them are paved. On these roads, the beautiful female traffic police officers are given traffic commands.

7. Uninhabited 'Peace Village'

After inter-Korean reconciliation efforts, Pyongyang built a peace village on the border of line 38, in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. There is a very beautiful town and there is everything that you expect such as housing, schools, hospitals and shops. But... No one really lives there.

The North Korean government has put a lot of effort into making this place seem "active", the lights are lit at a certain time frame, someone cleans the house and cleans the streets to create the impression that there are residents living.

It's called the "Peace Village," part of the mystery that remains intact around the town, with many reports commenting that the town is simply intended to show South Korea that life in North Korea is great.

8. Bicycles with license plates

In North Korea, people who own a car are certainly very wealthy and powerful because their prices are so high and not everyone can afford it. Even a bicycle is expensive and rarely seen on the road. All bicycles have license plates, just like cars.

9. Law on "punishing three generations"

It would be terrible if someone broke the law and was sent to prison, because everyone else in their family would share the same fate. In the eyes of the leader, if someone is a criminal (most likely a political prisoner) then their whole family is no different, including grandparents, parents and children. This "three-generation punishment" rule was started by Kim Il-sung in the 1950s.

10. Defection from North Korea?

There are many other things about the difficult life, the limits of the internet, the inability to travel, the inability to make international phone calls, the corruption, and the countless things that hold back the people of this authoritarian government.

But just these nine things have seen the strict constraints, leading many to think of the 10th core thing: Defecting out of North Korea?

Look at the contrasting picture on the banks of the Korean River, opposite South Korea. Rudimentary wooden boat and group of people eat makeshift on the sands of North Korea. On the other side are busy buildings and Korean yachts.

Is there a way to get there? Have! To do this they lose about $8,000 through brokers mostly organized by The Chinese. Since Kim Jong Un came to power, crossing the border from North Korea has become more than twice as dangerous and expensive. However, there have been many defections from North Korea over the years.

Although there is also a lack of freedom in Vietnam and many inadequacies, but watching this video, sometimes you see, I was born in Vietnam still lucky, and life is much easier than the current holding in the Korean dictatorship!